


A Little Less Conversation

by sterlingstars



Category: Good Game (TV 2017)
Genre: First Kiss, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, just lots of kissing that's literally the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 21:34:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19093582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sterlingstars/pseuds/sterlingstars
Summary: After Alex and Ryland's fight at the Blood Match party, Ryland feels himself feeling... like shit. But after running into Alex shortly after the fight, things take a turn for the better in ways neither of them could have really seen coming. Maybe this party wasn't such a bad idea, after all.





	A Little Less Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> Hi hello yes uhhhh this is really self-indulgent and just catering to me. I had a lot of fun writing this! I watched Good Game (finally lmao) and these two fools are Married.... this fic in particular was loosely based off of [this very cute art](https://shamefulbirb.tumblr.com/post/166551034759/i-just-finished-watching-all-of-good-game-and) that had the concept of Alex and Ryland making out at the party. I tweaked the premise a little, but everyone still gets what they want- these two fools getting their shit together and kissing. Enjoy!

Ryland officially hates this party. He hates this party, and all he wants to do is go home and take his pants off and fire up a game and just relax. He doesn’t want to think about Killcore, or all of these strangers, or fucking Steamin and Lucid Nightmare. He also doesn’t really wanna think about the fight he and Alex definitely just had. He’s still pissed off, his body tingling with it, but there’s definitely still a part of him outside of the anger that feels bad. Maybe if he had stuck with Alex, this wouldn’t have happened- Steamin might not even have tried to approach him, if Ryland had been there.

God, he can’t wait for this fucking tournament to be over. 

He wanders aimlessly around the house. It’s huge, but the press of the people makes the place feel crowded, and it’s making Ryland sweat. He keeps anxiously running his fingers through his hair, not used to it being down. It’s irritating, but he needs something to do with his hands, so he pushes the feeling aside. The rest of the team is completely scattered, and he knows there’s a pretty slim chance he’ll manage to find any of them in this crowd. He doesn’t even know what he would do if he found any of them, but the crowd of strangers is just making him feel even more on edge. 

Wandering through the house eventually lets him find more unoccupied corners, the people thinning out. He breathes a sigh of relief as he manages to find what appears to be a deserted hallway. Maybe he can find a bathroom to go hide in for the rest of the night, if he’s lucky. He can play a game on his phone until someone texts him to say they’re leaving, and then he can go home and lock himself in his bedroom for the rest of the night. It sounds like a very solid plan, and he starts trying for unlocked doors.

The third door is the winner, and Ryland pushes it open with a sigh of relief, shoulders sagging. He’ll find somewhere to plant his ass and zone out, and he’s looking forward to it.

Except- Alex is in here. 

They just kind of stare at each other for a solid ten seconds, and Ryland feels his palms start to sweat. Alex is wide-eyed, and he usually sports a bit of a deer in the headlights look, but there’s a layer of hurt to it. Ryland deflates.

“Hey,” he says quietly.

“Hi.” 

They stare at each other a little more, and with a heavy sigh, Ryland closes the door behind him. He leans against it, and looks sheepishly back at Alex, who is still looking at him warily.

“Look…” he says, breathing out a sigh. “I… I wasn’t fair to you.” He runs a hand through his hair, again. “This is stupid. I hate fighting with you. I’m just… I’m really stressed, and I don’t really wanna be at this party, and everything is kind of… a lot. And if I’m being honest here, the idea of you leaving me for Steamin of all people is kind of terrifying.”

“You know I wouldn’t do that, right?” Alex says, and when Ryland looks up at him again, his eyes are big, his face serious. “I wanted to be helpful. I know you’re all freaking out about this match, and I thought if I could get some kind of advantage, I could make you feel better.”

Ryland feels himself deflate even further. “Fucking… you’re too good for me, do you know that?”

Alex scoffs. “Think that might be the other way around, man.”

He shakes his head. “I mean it. I was just a dick to you. I can tell I hurt your feelings.”

“Well… okay, you did, but it’s okay, man.”

“Not really! You just wanted to help us. Me. Again.”

Alex steps a little closer. “I keep telling you that I love you, dude. I do. I know I’m like, not a good coach, and I don’t really get all of this, but I wanna support you. Talking to Steamin might have been stupid, though.” He looks thoughtful for a second, and then he bursts into a grin. “Dude, did you know his girlfriend wants him to be a cuck?”

Ryland nearly chokes on his own spit. “ _Excuse me?_ ”

“Dude, yeah- I was hanging out with her, but I didn’t know it was her, and she was showing me a cool game- and she like, came onto me in front of him and very obviously implied that she wanted me to dick her down in front of him. If it wasn’t so weird I think it might have been flattering.”

“Holy shit.”

Alex nods excitedly. “I may not have figured out any team secrets, but at least you’ve got that on him.” He wiggles his eyebrows dramatically.

Unable to help himself, Ryland laughs. Alex grins, and then he’s laughing too, and then they’re both in hysterics. The last dregs of adrenaline from their fight and his anxiety amp up Ryland’s laughter to a nearly hysterical level, but he doesn’t really care. He grips his stomach and doubles over, face red. Alex is wheezing in front of him, and for a few moments, the intensity of the night disappears in this dark room.

When he finally straightens up, he’s breathless and red-faced. Alex is even closer, now, still in front of him, his own cheeks a little red, and he has a big smile plastered on his face. They’re both a little out of breath. Ryland slumps a little against the wall, and Alex just grins at him. Alex is kind of in his space, and sometimes it bothers him, but right now, he doesn’t mind. His eyes are darker than usual in the dim light of the room they’re in, round and deep. 

Ryland lets out a deep, shaky breath.

“The last thing I want or need is a fight with you. I’m sorry, man. This whole thing just has me fucked up. I know you care about me. You- you’re the only one who really has, for a long time.”

Alex’s answering smile is dopey and wide, and he puts his hands on Ryland’s shoulders, leaning a little closer into his space. “We take care of each other, man. You and me, two dumb ass losers who only have each other. I love you, man.”

He pulls Ryland into a hug, but he doesn’t fight it like he normally would. He finds himself melting a little into Alex’s embrace, and he brings his hands up, wrapping them around his petite waist.

“Aww, man, you _never_ hug me back,” Alex coos into his ear. “This is so nice.”

Ryland feels his cheeks get hot, but he doesn’t respond. He just kind of hunkers down and lets himself be hugged. He’s not big on physical affection, but he’s been out of his mind with stress, and sometimes a guy just needs to let himself be fucking held for a minute. It’s pretty soothing, and because it’s Alex, it doesn’t feel weird. 

“Wow, man, you are really feeling it, huh?” Alex asks when he still hasn’t let go.

“So maybe I’ve just been a _little_ worked up.”

Alex pats his back, a hand running over the back of his head, smoothing his hair. “It’s okay, Ry. This has been pretty intense.” 

"You really think we can take this shit all the way?” He asks, and he’s surprised by the genuine vulnerability in his voice, but he presses on. “Like, genuinely?” 

“Oh, no fucking question. We’ve worked so hard for this, and you’re fucking amazing at this game, dude. You’re gonna beat Lucid Nightmare’s ass into the ground and then some. I believe in you so hard, and not just because I am definitely drunk right now.” 

Ryland finds himself laughing a little. “I actually fucking believe you.” 

“Well you should, because I’m super not lying,” Alex says in a mockery of a serious tone. 

He pulls away a little and finds himself smiling. Alex is grinning, a little redness still lingering in his cheeks from the alcohol, and it makes everything inside Ryland just loosen up. He swallows a little hard, and doesn’t look away, but neither does Alex. They just kind of… stand there this way, and for some reason, he feels a little afraid to move. His heart is hammering at his rib cage, and he licks his lips nervously. 

“I….” he says, and it comes out like a croak. He doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t know why he feels nervous. 

“Man, can I just…” Alex says, and he’s quiet. 

Ryland knows, but he doesn’t. He nods anyway. 

It’s a weird thing, when Alex leans in and kisses him. Part of him expected it, but most of him doesn’t, and his brain instantly kicks into gear as their lips meet. It’s nothing intense, and it’s very chaste- a brush of Alex’s mouth against his, dry and soft and shy. It still makes his stomach hit his feet before making a round trip to his throat, his heart squeezing with… nerves? Excitement? He can’t even tell. Alex’s eyes are closed, lashes trembling a little, and oh shit, he’s _nervous_. Ryland doesn’t know if he’s ever seen Alex genuinely nervous. 

They break apart. Alex slowly opens his eyes, and his cheeks are even redder now. Their hands are still on each other, in position for hugging. Ryland wonders if Alex can hear how loudly his heart is beating- he feels like it’s all he can hear, the heavy beats rushing in his ears. 

“I-is that okay? Maybe I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know why-“ 

Ryland gives himself a mental kick in the ass, and pulls Alex flush against him, crushing their lips together. It’s like someone lit a match under his ass- he realizes, with sudden clarity in the midst of this thing- that he really wants this. 

This has easily been the wildest, most bizarre few months of his life. He’s on a fucking esports team, participating in a nationally broadcasted tournament against his childhood rival. He has… friends, now? They’re all a bunch of fucking assholes and weirdos, but they’re a team. And here he is, in some room of the mansion of Jesse Fucking Cox, kissing the daylights out of his best friend. 

Well. Things could be weirder, he guesses. This isn’t so bad, in the grand scheme. 

It takes a second for Alex to register that he’s being kissed, and then he gets into it, gripping Ryland tightly, his suit jacket clenched in his long fingers. He starts kissing him back, and oh fuck, it’s good. It’s very good. Ryland doesn’t even care that Alex tastes like whatever the hell he’s been drinking all night. His lips are tingling, and his face is hot, and he’s kissing his best friend. 

It feels like the blink of an eye when they break for air, both of them breathless and red-faced. It’s almost an exact repeat of just a few minutes earlier, but now their foreheads are touching and Ryland’s mouth is tingling. He gives Alex’s hips a squeeze. 

“So, uh…” He stammers. “Was that uh, overdue, you think?” 

“Oh my fucking god, yes,” Alex says. “Way fucking overdue. Like, we probably should have done this at least a year ago overdue. Probably longer. Holy shit, dude.” 

“We just fucking kissed.” 

“We sure fuckin did! It was good.” 

Ryland finds himself grinning. “Yeah it… it really was.” 

“Wanna do it again?” Alex asks with a dramatic wiggle of his eyebrows. 

Ryland rolls his eyes, but he dives back in, and Alex meets him halfway. It’s still pretty chaste, exploratory, but Alex hasn’t loosened his grip on Ryland’s jacket, and he’s still holding onto Alex’s hips pretty firmly. He backs up against the wall again, tugging Alex with him, and he follows pliantly, not missing a beat. Shyly, Ryland lets his tongue trace the seam of Alex’s lips, prompting a gasp out of both of them as he opens his mouth, and then the floodgates are open. 

This kiss gets a bit of an edge, and it goes from a shy exploration to a physical signifier of the way Ryland is feeling inside, tingly and bright and wild. Their kisses are open- mouthed, tongues swiping across each others’ lips, and Ryland feels a groan make its way out of his throat as Alex swipes the back of his teeth. It’s very good, and his face is still hot, his heart beating as a thousand miles a minute, but he doesn’t wanna stop for even a second, now. 

They cling to each other tightly, and this time, when they break apart for air, Ryland feels dizzy. Alex looks utterly blissed-out, and for once, Ryland gets the feeling. He lets out a deep breath, and closes his eyes for a second, processing the moment. When he opens his eyes, Alex is looking right at him, smile wide and eyes warm. Ryland moves his hands from Alex’s waist and up, cupping his face. Alex’s smile gets a little wider, and his cheeks are warm, where Ryland is cupping them. 

“So uh…. What does this mean?” Ryland asks quietly. 

“Honestly? No fuckin clue,” Alex says with perfect confidence. “But that’s okay. We can just go with it and see what it does. Besides, someone has a tournament to focus on winning.” 

He finds that he… doesn’t hate that sentiment. This is definitely a development he didn’t really see coming, and he doesn’t mind the idea of just taking the time to feel things out. Alex’s hands to go his waist and squeeze, and he gives a bright smile. 

“You know this means I’m gonna kiss you whenever I want, though, right?” Alex says. 

Ryland rolls his eyes. “Like I could stop you.” He pauses for a second. “And, uh, maybe I might like it a little bit.” He feels his face go hot. 

“Well, in that case…” 

Ryland laughs as Alex leans in for another kiss. 

**Author's Note:**

> And then they stumbled out of that dark little room like right as the party was ending, and everyone could totally tell they had been making out for the last like two hours, but no one said anything because it was very funny to them that Alex and Ryland didn't see how totally obvious they were being
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this! I had fun writing it, and hopefully I'll write some more for these two in the future- I've got at least one other wip already floating around, so this is probably not the last of them here. Feel free to give me feedback!


End file.
